A few months back, I wrote an article about how much I hate going to networking events – especially big ones. It’s sort of a sensory overload for me to walk into a room full of people and where I know no one. Honestly, I’d rather be snuggling at home in my PJs with my kids!
But as someone whose business IS networking – I force myself to go (usually).
Recently, I got an email from one of my LinkedIn connections complaining about a very large, local networking event that he attended the week before – lots of people were there and, of course, he followed up by reaching out to many of the people he had met, as he had learned to do from just about everything he’s read about networking. In the days that followed, he received not one response from ANY of the people that he reached out to.
Maybe it’s him – but I have to say, I’ve had this experience too. Many times.
So I thought, perhaps, he had the “what’s in it for me?” attitude that many people have when they attend events. He assured me that he did not and, in fact, offered specifically to introduce a few people to other people that he knew that might make good contacts for them, based on the conversations he had with them at the networking event.
Yup. Been there, done that, too.
So this begs the question – Are networking events a good use of networking time? Further – do they make sense for people who:
- Know the difference between networking and selling – and are not attending events to sell anything.
- Are open to meeting up with those that they meet at an event for lunch or coffee at a later date to explore further networking opportunities.
- Network better on a one-on-one or small group basis.
- Are easily frustrated by the lack of follow-up on the part of participants, even when they are going to an event with a “give, not take” frame of mind.
Let me know YOUR thoughts.
(And if you’re frustrated by the business networking event scene, check out The Power Lunch Project’s new networking program, Business Connections IRL, where we match you up to go to lunch or coffee with your own circle of connections on LinkedIn – we know you are overlooking great networking opportunities there! Start building great relationships at http://www.BusinessConnectionsIRL.com!)
